SONG OF THE MARCHING CHILDREN

Earth and Fire's Song of the Marching Children finds the Netherlands outfit playing in a style reminiscent of the first three King Crimson albums. In particular, the title track's suitably march- like rhythms can't help but remind me of the "Mars, Bringer of War" references on In the Wake of Poseidon, and indeed the album has the same combination of lofty symphonic goals and psychedelic counter-culture hippyism that seems to characterise Wake of Poseidon and Lizard. Whereas Crimson only occasionally tipped their hat to the psychedelic in this phase though (see songs like the whimsical Happy Family on Lizard), Earth and Fire seem much more comfortable with it, creating a mashup of Crimsonian majesty and hippy-trippy playfulness which sets them apart from their influences.